1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to sub-soil planter machines, and, more particularly, is directed to an improved sub-soil planter machine wherein the components thereof are so arranged and mounted such that the depth of the machine has been lessened thereby reducing the force required to lift the machine and such that the components can be easily adjusted to thereby facilitate desired crop row spacings.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Sub-soil planters, oftentimes referred to as minimum tillage planters and no-till planters, are relatively new in the farming industry, however, their popularity has been continually increasing, in that, farmers are steadily recognizing that these machines not only reduce the amount of time required to prepare the soil and plant the seed crops, but also, that the use of these machines can increase their crop yield and enable them to practice better soil conservation in preventing soil erosion and reducing soil compaction.
In most farming areas, the loose top soil only extends to a depth of approximately 6 to 12 inches. Under this layer of top soil, normally lies a layer of approximately 2 to 4 inches of compacted soil, generally referred to as hardpan. Not only does this layer of hardpan impede soil drainage, but it also hampers root growth. Thus, in keeping with good farming practices, farmers now plow to a greater depth than before and use such tools as the sub-soiler shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,042,118 to break up this hard under layer of compacted soil.
Due to the larger farms and in keeping with the tremendous technical advancements being made in the farming industry, farmers are using larger and larger equipment, in addition to, more sophisticated equipment which combines several typical farming steps into one operation. The use of these combined machines not only saves the farmer valuable time, but also reduces soil compaction since only one machine pass is required to perform several different operations wherein in the past, one machine pass was needed for each operation.
One type of such a combined machine is known as a sub-soil planter or no-till planter. This machine performs several operations into one pass of the machine; for example, these machines typically have long extending blades or teeth that break up and plow a furrow through the hardpan or subterranean layer of earth; some type of tilling mechanisms which further till the broken-up soil in preparing a finely divided soil seedbed; and seed planter units adapted to plant seeds in the prepared seedbed. Additionally, some of these machines have additional mechanisms attached thereto for performing still other operations; such as, the applying of fertilizers, herbicides, and insecticides to the soil.
An earlier version of such a sub-soil planter is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,734,439 granted to Padrich on Feb. 14, 1956. Shown is a two row mounted unit having a relatively rigid frame with the sub-soil blades, discs, planter units and fertilizer dispensing mechanism attached to the frame forming a more or less rigid structure. Although this machine was an advancement in the art during its time, it had various shortcomings. Over the years, several improvements have been made to these earlier machines, such as seen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,170,421 wherein there is disclosed a machine adapted to be mounted on the rear end of a tractor and having a plurality of sub-soil blades mounted on a transverse tool bar with a plurality of pulverizer tine units mounted on and in trailing relationship to the blades. Further, individual planter units are detachably attached to the tool bar and are disposed in a tag along fashion, a considerable distance rearwardly of the blades. The machine was so constructed such that, after planting, the planter units could be removed whereby the machine with its sub-soil blades and pulverizer tines would be used to perform other operations.
Another version of a sub-soil minimum tillage planter is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,175,522. This machine actually includes two separate distinct machines, a multi-row planter being drawn behind a tillage machine which is towed by a tractor.
Another prior art machine is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,055,126. The machine disclosed in this patent is similar in construction and appears to be an improvement to the machine disclosed in the above-mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 3,170,421; however, one of the differences being that this machine is adapted to be towed or drawn behind a tractor whereas the earlier version was of the mounted type.
A relatively recent prior art machine can be seen in the brochure, entitled "SUB-SOIL PLANTER" published by the Mellinger Manufacturing Company. This machine is of the type adapted to be mounted on the 3-point hitch of a tractor and includes a frame having two spaced apart transverse tool bars. Mounted on the front transverse tool bar is a plurality of sub-soil blades, whereas, the rear transverse tool bar supports a plurality of discs and a plurality of rotary spike-tooth members in trailing relationship to the discs. The discs and rotary members are attached to support members that are mounted on and extend rearwardly from the rear transverse tool bar. The rear tool bar also supports a pair of rearwardly extending hitch members for attachment, in trailing relationship, of a third tool bar that carries a plurality of independently driven planter units. Although this machine is an advancement in the art and performs quite satisfactorily, it has some disadvantages. One of the disadvantages being that the depth (length) of the machine is large relative to its width whereby the center of gravity of the machine is located at a distance from the rear end of the tractor, which the machine is mounted thereon, such that a very large tractor, due to this long moment arm, is required in overcoming this counterreacting moment to thereby lift the machine for transport purposes. Another disadvantage of this machine is that each planter unit requires its own drive mechanism and further that each of the various components of the machine are not free to float independently of another. Still another disadvantage is that it takes a considerable amount of time in adjusting the machine between various desired crop row spacings in that each component must be separately adjusted relative to another.